The two species of rat most likely to be a problem are Norway rats (brown rat) and roof rats (black rat). Rats typically live in urban or suburban areas if access to food sources, water, and shelter can be acquired. Both pests are nocturnal and hide in their nests during the day.
Preferring to eat around homes, businesses, and restaurants, the small pests an get inside through cracks and holes in the around the roof, on your walls, and on foundations.. Other avenues, such as open doors and windows, floor drains, fan openings, and previously infested packages of merchandise, also allow the critters to set up permanent residence indoors.
Norway rats are excellent swimmers and can enter through the sewers. Both species are climbers. Roof rats climbing abilities can scale trees, drain pipes, and siding to get onto your roof and inside your home.
Where Do Rats Live inside the House?
Rats will build their nests and live in the house where people are not present.
The top five most common rat nest locations inside include:
- attics
- wall cavities
- under eaves
- basements or cellars
- crawlspaces
Where Do Rats in Your Yard?
Norway rats are burrowers that will build nests in vegetation, along patios, under foundations or concrete slabs.
Roof rats live high above the ground. In the yard, residents may spot roof rat nests in trees, firewood piles, shrubs, and vine.
Rats are opportunist. They will also nest under your car hood.
What Does a Rat's Nest Look Like?
The nest may resemble a messy ball-shaped structure or a heap of various materials. A rat nest typically consists of a collection of materials loosely piled up in a hidden location. These materials can include shredded paper, fabric, insulation, leaves, twigs, and other debris found in their surrounding.
Homeowners find rat nests in enclosed areas like crawlspaces, between walls, in attics, under porches, or in boxed-in plumbing. In outdoor areas surrounding homes, things such as debris piles, yard water, old furniture, ponds, trees, and garbage dumps are inviting to rats, as well.
Photos of Rats' Nests
How to Find a Rat Nest
If you have noticed signs of rats, how does Critter Control find the rat nest?
- Listen for sounds. Rats are nocturnal so homeowners will hear them at night. Our technicians rely on your experience to start our inspection.
- Look for signs of rat activity like droppings, gnaw marks, rat tracks, and greasy smudges on along the wall. Rats do not typically travel far from their nest.
- Investigate near the rat signs. Rats nest in hidden, dark spaces. Areas typically investigated include behind appliances, attics, basements, or in empty boxes.
- Follow the odor. Rats have a distinct mustky odor.
Rat Control & Rat Nest Removal
Effective rat control requires more than a few rat traps. You need to eliminate why the rats came to your property, remove access to your house, and finally exterminate the exisitng pest population.
Rats usually only live to about six months of age in the wild. They reach sexual maturity at around two to three months old. Pregnancies last between 20 and 30 days and typically result in 6 to 12 offspring. Though the rodents possess short lifespans, the rapid rate at which they reproduce, coupled with short gestation periods and large litter sizes, allows rats to continue as formidable pests.
Easily accessible sources of food will bring rats to your yard. Rats are omnivores and can eat almost anything. Rats can find food at bird feeders, pet food left outside, and garbage cans.
Inadequately sealed garages and poor sanitation practices foster ideal conditions for these pesky critters. Appropriate handling of food materials and waste helps deter rats from nesting. People concerned about rat infestations should attempt to rat-proof their homes.
Through exclusion and proper prevention, homeowners can eliminate troublesome rats from building nests inside and around homes.
To begin, openings of 1/4 inch or larger should be blocked with hardware cloth, floor drains should be covered with grates, window screens must fit firmly, and food products should be stored in metal cans with correctly tailored lids.
To exterminate already established invasions, homeowners may utilize traps, bait stations, electronic devices, and cats or dogs to stave off advancements of rodent populations. However, the use of such tactics may not entirely eliminate infestations. Concerned residents should contact the professional pest removal experts at Critter Control to take care of any rat issues before they get out of hand.
Learn more about rat removal.
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Best Bat Removal
Brandon was out to please and make out lives easier with out bat situation. Above and beyond of the call of duty and got the job done. Thank you!
BAT POOP CLEAN-UP AND PREVENTION! Bat guano removed from gables. No bats found in attic, so put new screens on all gable vents, as one screen was close to breaking and then bats may have gotten in! Great work in
Tulsa!
Squirrels and chipmunks were in our attic. So we called Critter Control to do an inspection. Their representative climbed all over our very steep roof and found several places where squirrels had entered our attic.
Upon inspection of the attic, evidence of bats was also found. The Critter Control team came on time to completely caulk the entire perimeter of the house and create an exit strategy for the squirrels and bats.
Because
bat droppings can cause histoplasmosis, this also required total removal and replacement of our attic insulation and sanitizing the space. Not a small job in a 1,300 sq. ft. attic! While Critter Control’s cost was high, our homeowners insurance covered most of it. Everyone representing Critter Control was professional, courteous and timely. I would highly recommend them to anyone who thinks they might have unwelcome guests living in their attic
On recommendations from a nearby pest control company, I called Critter Control for suspicious
bat droppings.
Madison came out the same day to do an inspection. She was knowledgeable, thorough, and highly professional. She examined the ‘matter’ that had been scattered on my threshold and thought it was foliage. But she then asked to go up to my attic space where the bats could be roosting. She had to walk up 3 flights of stairs with a heavy ladder. She again spent some time searching all the nooks and crannies and found nothing.
She seemed so interested in her craft, it was truly inspiring to see! She reassured me and is writing up a prevention strategy for my appraisal. She charged me NOTHING!! I am so impressed. We need more Madisons in this world!
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Bat Removal in San Diego
We noticed droppings on our brand new deck - we were given their number from our contractor. They came the next day. Brian looked at it and said - yeah, bats!! He then checked every area in our attic and he explained exactly what needed to be done.
He found evidence of a mice infestation, provided a referral and they are helping us as well. Great service, very informative, very professional! We are very satisfied and would recommend them to anyone who has any issues with any critters!
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